Penney shareholders want say in big severance deals
PLANO - After seeing J.C. Penney Co. pay $10.2 million in severance to an executive who was fired after only six months, shareholders of the department store chain voted Friday to require their approval of such payoffs in the future.

Toyota introduces Lexus hybrid with hefty price
TOKYO (AP) - For those who thought that only Hollywood celebrities and the granola-munching, Birkenstock-wearing crowd drive hybrid cars, Toyota has introduced one that costs as much as four years of tuition at a private college.

Fed considers tougher rules on lenders
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the central bank is considering tougher rules to crack down on abusive practices by mortgage lenders. But he says the economy should escape without significant harm from the problems in the subprime market.

Administration to quickly fill World Bank post
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Wolfowitz episode hobbled the World Bank's work of aiding the poor, and Paul Wolfowitz's resignation was just the first step in a healing process. The Bush administration hopes to quickly name a successor to take over that effort.

Corporate takeovers lead way for investors to pump up Dow
NEW YORK - Stocks surged higher Friday as another round of corporate takeovers prodded investors to continue a largely uninterrupted months-long buying streak. The Dow Jones industrial average registered its 24th record close this year and the Standard & Poor's 500 index came within striking distance of its record high.

Raiders struggle but stay in contention at NCAA golf regional
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. - Texas Tech entered the men's golf NCAA Central Regional seeded 14th and finished the first round tied for 13th. Even better, the Red Raiders are only two shots out of 10th place - the cutoff line for advancement to the NCAA Championships.

LCU women still 16th at NAIA Championships
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Lubbock Christian University freshman Bailey Marquez had another solid round Thursday at the women's golf NAIA Championships. The Lady Chaparrals just needed a few more scores like hers.

Wills signs letter with New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE -- Jonathan Wills, a 6-foot-5 185-pound guard from Cason, Calif., signed a national letter of intent Friday with the University of New Mexico.

Dinner, auction to start Red Raider Open
The Texas Tech Red Raider Club will host the Red Raider Open this weekend, and the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. today with a benefit dinner and auctions for the Stoney Garland Fund at the club level of Jones AT&T Stadium.

Red Raider golfers move up into top 10
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. - Thanks to some teamwork, the Texas Tech golf team is in position to advance to the men's golf NCAA Championships for the second year in a row.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma
About the series: Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Texas Tech, 24-21-1, and has won the last seven meetings. Tech's last win came in 2004 to secure a series win in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders' last win in Norman was April 20, 2001. ... Tech head coach Larry Hays needs 18 more victories to become just the third NCAA Division I coach to accumulate 1,500 career wins, going into the weekend at 1,482. ... Right fielder Roger Kieschnick's 25 doubles leads the Big 12 Conference, ranks him fourth on Tech's single-season doubles list and puts him in a tie for third nationally. He is also fourth in the Big 12 in home runs (13), a mark that includes two inside-the-park numbers. ... Tech will finish the season with a sub-.300 batting average for the first time in 15 years. ... The Red Raiders need two wins this weekend to ensure a winning record against Division I competition. Two of Tech's 27 wins so far have come against Hardin-Simmons and College of the Southwest.

OU, Baylor combine to knock Tech from contention
NORMAN, Okla. - The Texas Tech baseball team walked off the field at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Friday unsure of what the future would hold the next day. By the time the Red Raiders got back to the hotel, however, they knew.

Today's Quip
"Anheuser-Bush is being accused of creating a new alcoholic drink designed to appeal to underage drinkers. The critics may have a point: The new drink is called Harry Potter and the Malt Liquor."

Tomorrow
The Rev. Jerry Falwell did not fit the stereotype many sought to impose on him.

Junior League focuses on Lubbock children
SINCE JUNE 2005, one of the focus areas of the Junior League of Lubbock has been childhood obesity. With this focus area, they hope to develop programs to prevent and educate the people of Lubbock about this issue.

Tomorrow
Texas Tech historically has been a safe place, but justifiable concerns have prompted a wise review of campus security.

Today In History
On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation with its Plessy v. Ferguson decision, a ruling that was overturned 58 years later by Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

Today in History
On May 19, 1962, during a Democratic fund-raiser at New York's Madison Square Garden, actress Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" for guest-of-honor President John F. Kennedy.

Today's Quip
"Hamas has started a new children's show, which features Farfur, a Mickey Mouse knock-off who teaches Islamic radicalism and hatred toward America and Israel. Farfur replaces the network's previous children's show, Dora the Exploder."

Miniseries inspired by J.Lo's latest album
NEW YORK (AP) - A miniseries inspired by Jennifer Lopez's new album and a Spanish version of "Desperate Housewives" are among 30 new programs announced by Spanish-language TV network Univision for the new season.

Amazon.com to launch digital music store without DRM
LA TIMES - Online retailer Amazon.com on Wednesday said it will open a digital music store later this year featuring songs without anti-piracy technology, enabling buyers to play songs on virtually any device and copy them to CDs.

'Law & Order' lives on but needs new life
We already know three things about the next season of "Law & Order": It will be returning for an 18th season, after months of rumors that the long-running procedural might get the ax; it will return after the football season ends; and Fred Dalton Thompson will mostly likely not return as curmudgeonly District Attorney Arthur Branch.

Entertainment Calendar - Looking Ahead
"Peter the Rock" -- 8 p.m. May 25-26, June 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30, and 3 p.m. June 3, Ragtown Gospel Theater in Post. Concert of Southern gospel music precedes play. General admission tickets $20 for general public and $10 for children age 12 and younger. (877) 724-8696.

Painting sells for more than $71 million
NEW YORK (AP) - An Andy Warhol painting sold for more than $71 million, more than quadrupling the previous top auction price for the pop artist's work, an auction house said.

Beyonce earns six nominations for the 2007 BET Awards
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Beyonce earned a leading six nominations Wednesday for the 2007 BET Awards, including nods for top female R&B artist, video for "Irreplaceable" and duets with Jay-Z on "Deja Vu" and "Upgrade U."

Wayne's 100th birthday memorialized with the release of DVD compilations
John Wayne would be 100 years old on May 26, and it seems as if 100 new DVDs will be coming out to mark the occasion. OK, that's an exaggeration, although between his days as an extra in the late 1920s until the '70s when he died as one of the most recognizable American actors ever, Wayne was in enough movies to easily pass the 100 mark.

Entertainment Briefly
Chris Oglesby, author of "Fire in the Water, Earth in the Air: Legends of West Texas Music," published by University of Texas Press, has been honored by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections with a certificate of merit in the category of "best research in recorded popular music."

Vino100: A growing trend for wine-buying novices
I've never really known much about barometers. Sure, they have something to do with the weather, but beyond being a number and a mention on the nightly forecast, who seriously knows what they mean?

Loera comes through in tough spot for Mats
MIDLAND - Considering he hadn't pitched in more than a month, Brian Loera might have been a little unsure of himself when he was brought in to protect a three-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday night.

Day, Snyder shut down Cooper in playoff series opener
SNYDER - Dustin Murdock, Ryan Mitchell and Riley Davis delivered RBI singles in a four-run third inning, and Lance Day did the rest as Snyder beat Cooper 9-1 Friday night in the opener of a Region 1-3A quarterfinal series at Moffett Field.

Utility customer questions doubling paper usage
In this day in age of "going green," whose brilliant idea was it to take the city utility's monthly bills from one page to two? Did their local paper supplier not get a large enough "home-owned credit?"

Juneteenth committee welcomes public input
Recently there have been questions raised regarding the types of activities provided during the Juneteenth celebration and the specific role the city of Lubbock plays in providing such activities. It is not the responsibility of the city of Lubbock to pay for any activity for any organization, whether it is Juneteenth festivities, Cinco de Mayo, etc.

Swann's 'Flower Children' face the true test: junior high
"Flower Children" (Riverhead Books, 224 pages, $21.95) - Maxine Swann: The true test for the hippie kids of "Flower Children" is not their parents' divorce, nor is it dealing with the string of short-term boyfriends and girlfriends who woo their folks.

PromTime
Prom is such a special time that we're capturing it in print for our readers. We hope you enjoy seeing how others dress up and celebrate.

Painting sells for more than $71 million
NEW YORK (AP) - An Andy Warhol painting sold for more than $71 million, more than quadrupling the previous top auction price for the pop artist's work, an auction house said.

Need to scatter ashes? Call a professional
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Dwight Smith and his mother made several trips to Ireland over the years, reveling in the beauty of the Killarney lakes in the southwest corner of the country.

Swann's 'Flower Children' face the true test: junior high
"Flower Children" (Riverhead Books, 224 pages, $21.95) - Maxine Swann: The true test for the hippie kids of "Flower Children" is not their parents' divorce, nor is it dealing with the string of short-term boyfriends and girlfriends who woo their folks.

Area shines in report on job growth
The Lubbock/Crosby County Metropolitan Statistical Area continued to create more jobs in April as reflected in its ranking as one of the top employment producers in the state based on monthly and annual gains.

Despite the rains, city not flooded with ark-itects
God's instructions to Noah were explicit: Make an ark of gopherwood; make rooms inside; cover it with pitch; make its length 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits; bring two of every living thing aboard the massive boat.

News Brief
Denzail Cleveland, 15, of Amherst remained in good condition Friday night at Covenant Medical Center, said a hospital official. Cleveland was seriously injured in a one-vehicle rollover on May 3 in Hockley County that left two teens dead.

News Brief
Denzail Cleveland, 15, of Amherst remained in good condition Thursday night at Covenant Medical Center, a hospital official said. Cleveland was injured in a one-vehicle rollover May 3 in Hockley County that left two teens dead.

Man charged with biting assault on toddler
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A man was charged with assault for allegedly biting his 3-year-old nephew all over his body to teach the toddler that biting people is wrong, police said.

Blind boy's mom, aunt charged with child cruelty
LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - The mother and aunt of a legally blind 10-year-old boy were booked on cruelty charges after briefly leaving him on the side of a highway because he was misbehaving, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Trust may be biggest challenge
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Many illegal immigrants will have to overcome deep-seated fear and distrust of the U.S. government if they are to take advantage of the proposal to emerge from the shadows offered by Senate leaders and the White House.

Immigration deal covers ag workers
A new federal immigration reform deal worked out by senators would help provide the legal work force that keeps the region's gins and vegetable producers in operation.

Seven charged with taking skin, organs from corpses
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Three funeral home directors and four former employees of a biomedical supply company secretly removed skin, bone and other body parts from dozens of corpses awaiting cremation at Rochester funeral homes, prosecutors said Thursday.

Pearline "Tillie" Roberts
After celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends, Pearline Katherine "Tillie" Roberts died peacefully in her sleep on May 17, 2007.

Lepolua Dickson, Jr.
Lepolua Dickson, Jr., 42, of Lubbock died Thursday, May 10, 2007. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church. Burial will follow at the City of Lubbock Cemetery under the direction of Griffin Mortuary.

Dorothy Lee Thompson
Dorothy Lee Thompson, loving mother and wife, passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, in Lubbock. Known to family and friends as "Dot," she was born on Jan. 5, 1932, the youngest of four children, to John Franklin and Dora Lee Bumgardner, in Lincolnton, N.C. She grew up in Lincolnton and Gastonia, N.C., completing high school at Gastonia High School in 1950. She graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. While in school, she met her husband, Vincent Byers Thompson, from McAdenville, N.C. on a blind date introduced by mutual friends. They fell in love and married in Lincolnton, N.C. in 1957. They moved to Atlanta, Ga., where she was a RN at Emory University Medical Center and Vincent was an aeronautical engineer for Delta Airlines and flew in the Georgia Air National Guard. In 1959, Dottie became a loving and devoted, stay-at-home mom to raise their daughter, Leslie. Vincent was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was transferred to Tampa, Fla. During their nearly 20 years in the Air Force, they were stationed at air bases around the U.S. and Asia.

Julia C. Ybarra
Funeral services for Julia C. Ybarra, 83, of Lubbock will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19, 2007, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, with Father Martin Pina officiating.

Death Notices
Edith Juanita Brown, 92, of Levelland died Wednesday, May 16, 2007. Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, May 26, 2007, at Kingdom Hall in Littlefield. Hammons Funeral Home in Littlefield.

Neshia Marie Robinson Gresham
Neshia Marie Robinson Gresham left this world to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, surrounded by her family and friends in Lubbock on May 15, 2007.

Liz Paschall
Celebration of Life services for Liz Paschall, 80, of Lubbock will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2007, at Resthaven's Abbey Chapel, with Harvey Pruitt officiating. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. Elizabeth Ann McDonald was born May 1, 1927, in Lubbock, to the late Charles and Vera (Graves) McDonald. On June 14, 1958, Liz and Clyde Paschall were united in marriage in Lubbock.

Rockets tired of waiting, fire Van Gundy
HOUSTON - If Jeff Van Gundy had decided sooner that he wanted to return to the Houston Rockets, he would still have a job. At least that's what the team was saying Friday after firing him.

Red Sox stay hot, win two vs. Tigers
BOSTON - Eric Hinske slammed his chin into the ground making a spectacular, run-saving catch, and hit a go-ahead homer two innings later to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-2 win Thursday night and a doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers.

Ochoa rallies for share of lead at Sybase Classic
CLIFTON, N.J. - Sarah Lee presumably was long gone from the Upper Montclair Country Club by the time Lorena Ochoa finished her round Friday in the Sybase Classic. That might have been a good thing.

Mysterious actions cited in murder case
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AP) - The defense attorney for a Cannon Air Force Base airman accused of killing his wife suggested the woman may have been a mistaken target of retaliation against a witness in an unrelated homicide trial.

Hymns or praise choruses? It depends on your roots
Some people prefer hymns, others prefer worship choruses. People of both persuasions can be passionate that their method of worship is best. I enjoy both. I've found that the type of worship people favor is mostly influenced by the kind with which they were raised and the style that fits their personality.

Colleagues tap Crosbyton Democrat for freshman honor
AUSTIN - In November, after narrowly defeating his Republican opponent in what some political observers considered the nastiest race in the state, Rep. Joe Heflin said he had some "big shoes to fill" in Austin.

Transporation bill headed to House-Senate committee
AUSTIN (AP) - A transportation bill containing a toll-road moratorium and crafted to satisfy the concerns of Gov. Rick Perry is in for some more tweaking after the Texas Senate disagreed Friday with House changes to the measure.

House approves key transportation bill
AUSTIN (AP) - Facing prospects of a special legislative session, the Texas House overwhelmingly approved a transportation bill Thursday aimed at pleasing Gov. Rick Perry and stopping him from forcing lawmakers to work overtime.

Diocese fires teacher over sexual contact
FORT WORTH (AP) - A Catholic school teacher was fired after admitting he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl while he was a youth minister in 2001, diocese officials announced Friday.

Lawmakers approve money for CHIP implementation
AUSTIN (AP) - House and Senate budget writers approved almost $90 million on Thursday to make it easier for Texas families to enroll in the state's low-cost health insurance plan for children of the working poor.

Bill to require recorded votes now in question
AUSTIN - A proposed constitutional amendment requiring major legislative votes to be recorded was teeterng toward failure after the Senate's broader version was blocked from a vote in the House.

Wounded man will be charged with killing deputies
DALLAS (AP) - A man wounded during a shootout that led to the deaths of two East Texas sheriff's deputies will be arrested on capital murder charges when he gets out of the hospital, officials said Friday.

Man kills two deputies in dispute
PAYNE SPRINGS (AP) - Two Henderson County sheriff's deputies were shot and killed and another was wounded Thursday afternoon while responding to a domestic disturbance near this East Texas town.

Search for missing troops continues
MAHMOUDIYA, Iraq (AP) - U.S. soldiers fought exhaustion and braced themselves for the worst Friday as the military pressed forward with a six-day-old search for three missing comrades believed captured by al-Qaida in Iraq in an ambush south of Baghdad.

Search for missing troops continues
BAGHDAD (AP) - About 50 suspected insurgents attacked a U.S. base in the center of a city north of Baghdad on Friday, sparking a battle with U.S. soldiers and helicopters that left at least six militants dead, the Iraqi army said.

Officials hold out hope missing soldiers alive
BAGHDAD - U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism Thursday that three missing American soldiers are still alive even as troops drained canals and questioned children in the search for the troopers feared captured by al-Qaida.

Israeli reprisals, infighting raise violence level in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel targeted Hamas with airstrikes Thursday, destroying a compound and a car carrying senior commanders of the Islamic group and killing six people in a new layer of violence added to Palestinian infighting that has paralyzed the Gaza Strip.